Simple Secrets
by candie-sweetie
Summary: (same story as before-i accidently deleted ^^;;) Tohru has left the Sohmas at Akito's order. She has begun a new life but fate keeps bringing her back to the Sohmas. Also, how is Yuki coping?
1. One

I'm so stupid! I accidently removed my story altogether while trying to fix something. For some reason chapter 2 kept showing up as chapter 1..... blahblahblah. anyway, it's the same story.  
  
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Tohru has decided to leave at Akito's 'suggestion.' But her heart still longs for the place she once called home. What happens when she breaks her promise, comes home... to find her first love gone.   
  
My first Furuba Fanfic... and second anything fanfic ever... be nice? ^_^;;;   
  
It was morning just as any other at Shigure's house. Tohru stood in the kitchen, cooking busily and the others were just waking from their night's slumber. A delicious aroma filled the air and entranced the two boys (and man) down for breakfast.  
  
"Good morning Tohru," called Yuki. He seemed to be in bright spirits today, although he was not generally a morning person.  
  
"Good morning Yuki. Did you sleep well?" asked Tohru.  
  
"Yes. Thank you for asking." Even after many years of living together, it was amazing how formal these two could sound. It was common knowledge in the Sohma family that Yuki cared for Tohru, and Tohru for Yuki… but the two being quite shy and modest, never 'hooked up.'  
  
An orange-haired boy walked in. He had a bad boy vibe but a sleepy face. He casually went and sat down at the table, taking a sip of milk that was laid out for him, especially. Next entered a man of about 29 (?) years. He looked sophisticated with his dashing smile… but that impression of him was ruined in the next moment.  
  
"Too-ru! My good little house wife, what lovely food you make for me everyday!" he sang out. He was shut up quite soon, however, by a double attack from Yuki and Kyo. Now the whole 'family,' if that's what you would call it, were sitting down to eat. She had outdone herself again. The table was covered with food of all sorts, every single dish a favorite of one of the consumers.   
  
"Ahh… Ano… I would like to talk to you all about something very important," announced Tohru. The three stopped eating and stared. She took a deep breath and began. "I have decided to move out." She lowered her head. She could not bear to look into any of their eyes at this moment.   
  
"What are you talking about baka! You live here. You can't move out," screamed an angry Kyo. It had been several years since she had come to live with them and they had all gotten used to her by now. All of the Sohma family had grown an unusual attachment to this strange girl… especially Kyo and Yuki.   
  
She inhaled and tried to feel confident. "I am going to go to Kenju Girl's Academy in Tokyo."   
  
Yuki's face softened. "Tohru… please stay. We are sorry for anything we did to make you leave." He could not understand what it was that had happened that had made Tohru want to leave. He knew no girl could possibly resist his charm… but what he didn't know was if he would be doing the right thing in convincing her to stay.  
  
She cleared her throat. "There is only one year of high school left, and then I need to worry about my future… I cannot live here with you guys forever I would not want to over stay my welcome," she said with a weak smile. "Plus," she added, "I will need a good education to support myself..." she did not finish but the others heard her anyway. She meant that she could not continue these odd jobs to support herself. It would be impossible even if one worked full time. She needed something that would pay better.  
  
"Is this really your decision, Tohru?" asked Shigure.  
  
"Yes…" she answered. He was the only one who was aware of the reason behind her decision. It was Akito.  
  
"Tohru, you have a phone call."  
  
"Hai!" She answered, "Moshi moshi?"  
  
"Tohru? This is Hatori. Shh. Don't let anyone know you're talking to me. Akito wants to meet with you. (long pause) Are you free this Saturday?"  
  
"Hai… I will ask Shigure-san for permission."  
  
"Okay. Come to the Main House. Do not let anyone know where you are going. Not even Shigure. Bye," with that he hung up.  
  
Saturday came and Tohru was at the Main House. She was nervous… Akito had called her out, after all. Two years had passed since she had seen him last… it had been quiet, perhaps too quiet. They had all gotten complacent. She was brought in to see him. She sat on the hard floor, only six feet away from Akito's futon. He was laying on it, lazily, fingering a daisy.  
  
It was nearly ten minutes before he spoke and her legs had nearly fallen asleep. "Why are you here Tohru? Why can't you just leave us alone?" he asked in a surprisingly quiet voice.  
  
"You wanted to talk to me?" she asked with all the courage she could muster.   
  
"Yes." He answered. But he did not continue after that for several more minutes. "You are going to be a senior this year."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You must leave."  
  
"Ahh.. nani? I must leave?"  
  
"Yes. It is better that you leave now. I have… plans for Yuki. I do not need you in the way," he cackled and laughed. "But perhaps… you will be of assistance instead?" It was decided that she would move out and never converse with the Jyuunishi Sohmas again, minus Hatori. If she stayed, Kyo and Yuki would be forced back into the main house instead. In compensation for her cooperation, they would send her to a school of her choice in Tokyo, all expenses paid. The money for this would be controlled by Hatori. Only he and Akito would have knowledge of this plan.   
  
There was a long silence after her confirmation. Kyo immediately got up cursing, and left. Yuki, too, was upset, but he had learned to control his emotions since he was a child. Shigure had had some idea of why she was leaving, and so did not really oppose it. Actually, all he knew was that it concerned Akito… but since he was a Sohma after all, he did not want to go against their clan head—too much.  
  
"When are you leaving, Tohru?" asked Shigure.  
  
"Tomorrow morning." She had tried to bargain to stay as long as possible… but with little result. Yuki quietly asked to be excused and left the table. It was just her and Shigure.   
  
He turned to her in all seriousness. "Tell me. Are you leaving because of Akito?" She looked up to see his warm eyes. She changed the direction of her glance. She could not stare into his eyes and lie to him.  
  
"No," she started meekly, but then more confidently, "I am leaving on my own accord. Please do not be angry with me." His heart went out to her. It was probably hurting her to watch her close friends, Yuki and Kyo reacting so miserably to her decision. She would probably only get sadder as the days wore on… and she told Hana-chan and Ou-chan.   
  
"I see. I hope you are making the right decision then. You know that they care a lot for you… though sometimes it does not seem like it." She knew… Oh how she knew. She was leaving for them. She was leaving so that they at least could have happiness. She knew how they dreaded the Main House. She knew that Akito knew. It was just a form of black mail… but if she didn't leave, they would suffer.  
  
"… hai… I will clear the dishes now." He only nodded.   
  
Since it was winter break, they did not have school. Instead, they were forced to have lots and lots of time to think about the immediate future. That night was a quiet one… no one spoke. It seemed as though the house was deserted. Not even Kyo made a fuss at dinner when Tohru clumsily dropped a dish. He simply cleaned it up for her… not meeting her gaze all the while. The whole house had been devastated. Shigure on the other hand, called Hatori. He wanted to know what was going on.   
  
But again he received fruitless answers. So he did the only thing he could. He called everyone up in hopes that would convince his happy little homemaker to stay. During the night everyone stopped by to say good bye. Momiji, Kisa, Hiro, Hatsuharu, Kagura, Ritsu… It was almost like a family reunion—a TV family reunion. Everyone was in tears. Some brought presents. Momiji brought an adorable MashiMaro bunny. Kisa brought a locket with a sticker picture of her, Hiro, and Tohru, they had once taken. Kagura brought cute stationary sets so she would have no excuse not to write.   
  
She knew she would not be able to write to her, but promised anyway. Tohru accepted the gifts as well as she could but told them that she had to leave. She knew what they were secretly hoping. It was what she was hoping as well. That she would suddenly jump up to say, just kidding! I'm not going to leave you guys! I love you too much! But it just didn't happen. Before she knew it, it was morning.   
  
It was morning again at Shigure's house. Tohru stood in the kitchen, cooking busily. She wanted to make them one last feast before she had to leave. She wouldn't be able to eat it with them… but still.   
  
The others slowly came down the stairs for breakfast. They sat down and eagerly began to eat. Tohru began to watch them… but suddenly stopped and ran to the stairs. She went to her room, sat on her bed and began to cry.  
  
"Why mother? Why do I have to leave?" she cried softly. *knock knock* She dried her tears and said, "Come in." It was Yuki. He noticed she had been crying. He cursed himself for his anger and selfishness.  
  
"Honda-san…" It was the formal address again. So he had distanced himself again. "Honda-san," he began again. "I will miss you. I… I wish you didn't have to leave," He said in a quiet voice. She looked up at him. He was now sitting on her bed and had his hand on her cheek. It was warm as if the sun were radiating from it. Wait, was it his hand, or her heart that was making things seem that way?  
  
"Yuki, I will miss you, too. I am sorry I am leaving. Please forgive me." She didn't know what else to say. She wanted to scream out how much she loved him, but she knew it would only make the separation more difficult. His hand had moved from her cheek to her chin. He lifted her face to his as if to kiss her when the door opened.  
  
"Tooo-ru!" it was Momiji. With lightning reflexes, Yuki pushed Tohru away and ran five feet away from her. All his years of fending off women had paid off. "Tori says it's time to go! Ooh! Yuki, what are you doing in here all alone with my precious Too-ru?!" The two grew red at this remark.   
  
"Hai…" she answered hesitantly. She wondered if Yuki was going to kiss her. How she was wishing he had… but at the same time she felt embarrassing and ashamed for leaving him cowardly. She prayed that he would forgive her. Forget her. 


	2. Two

Without Tohru, Shigure's little house became Shigure's quiet house for depressed little boys. Well, depressed but loud boys. Whatever sense of family they had felt before was now gone. As for food...  
  
"GOMEN NA SAI! GOMEN GOMEN! Forgive me! I spilled the soup on your clean kitchen floor, Shigure-san. I deserve harsh punishment." Ritsu proceeded to bang his head on the wall, waking the still sleeping inhabitants.   
  
"Shut the hell up!" screamed Kyou, bursting in through the door. It seemed that he had slept on the roof last night and the banging... well it made him fall off for a rude awakening.  
  
"GOMEN NA SAI! I am too loud! I cannot do anything right. Even my voice..." Kyou began to run at the unsuspecting man currently trying to hurt himself but was intercepted by a Shigure.  
  
"hehehe... That's no way to treat a guest, Kyou! We did after all invite him here. (then whispering) Here's a twenty, go buy some take out for us while I lock him in the kitchen." Feeling desperate, they had indeed invited Sohma Ritsu to there cozy abode. And they were all regreting it. But since they did make him give up his apartment, then pack up, and move in, all within a month's notice, they were feeling too guilty to do anything about it. Of course, Yuki had slept through the whole ordeal, as he did, every morning.   
  
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Kenju Girl's Academy  
  
"Tohru! Can you help me? My new dress has a rip in it and i just got a manicure!" Getting up from her studies, Tohru went to her roommate at once.   
  
"Thank you SOoo much! I have a date with Keisuke and you know how I just love this dress. And I simply cant do a thinggg with my nails so long..." The blonde, oops!, I mean the brunette lolled on, talking as if someone cared--which Tohru, being the sweetie she is, did. First about her nails, then about her hair and how she 'couldnt do a thing with it!' then about how the tan-in-a-bottle stuff worked wonders. It was a wonder Tohru's ears hadn't fallen off after half a year as her roommate. Still, underneath all that superficial perkiness was a heart of gold.  
  
"Youre going to come out with us right?" Tohru looked up in surprise.  
  
"Ehhh? I am??"  
  
"Yup! I asked you last week and you said yes! Remember? His friend's going to be in town so we'll all double date! Wear blue, his friend's going to wear blue. So then when we go clubin, we'll all be color-matching with our dates! Ahh! Too Cute!"  
  
"Ahh Hai... But I don't have anything to wear!" She vaguely remember promising her day to Mitsuki, so gave in without a fight. Life had really changed for her. In six months she had learned to grieve not just one, but fourteen people quietly while focusing on her education. She learned to welcome the distraction her roomie gave willingly.   
  
"Let's see... It's 9:21am now, and there are no classes on Saturday... and our dinner reservations are at 7:00pm... take two hours for getting ready, and one for lunch... oh! and one for breakfast... soooo we have six hours to shop!" she announced triumphantly. "That's cutting it a little close, but I'm sure we'll be able to find something." It was almost scary to watch this girl shop.   
  
At Tohru's insistence, they finished early and returned to the dorms, they lounged around. Sitting on their respective beds, they resorted to girl talk.  
  
"Say Tohru, what do you look for in a guy?"  
  
"Ehh? What do you mean Mitsuki?"  
  
"Like, what's your type?"  
  
"I dunno... I've never thought about it."  
  
"For me, my dream guy must be tall, handsome (no pretty-boys), kind, thoughtful, preferably rich, with big puppy dog eyes, and a killer smile. He must be a gentleman! And act oldfashioned but be up to date."  
  
"Is... Keisuke like that?"  
  
".... no, he's not. But I like him all the same, cause he's pretty damn near. And come on, I'm pretty picky. So what about you?"  
  
"I... I only need one thing. Love. A love so strong it breaks the bounds of time and distance."  
  
"aHhh! That's so sweet Tohru! I never knew you had it in ya. So tell me, have you ever been in love?"  
  
"Once--no. wait, no. Never. I've never been in love. Ever."  
  
"You wanted to say yes! You have been in love." At this point Mitsuki got up to study Tohru's face. Eyes locked she replied, "No. You're right. You're still in love."  
  
"I..It's 5pm. We better get ready." Tohru jumped off her bed and ran to the bathroom, locking the door after her. She let her body slide to the floor as slow sobs came rising up from her throat. She mightve been able to fool her friend if she hadn't left all her shopping bags outside on her bed.   
  
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Later that night  
  
*Knock Knock* "Hey Mitsuki, it's me. Are you ready?"  
  
"Ahh! Tohru, they're here, they're here. How do I look?" She had long since dried her tears and gotten dressed. She even let her Mitsuki put minimal make up on her.   
  
"Hai, hai. You look great!" Tohru was wearing a blue peasant top, a black mini-skirt, and black leather boots. Her hair was messily tied up with the curls spilling over her face. She wore white eye liner, a hint of blush, and a swab of pink shiny lip gloss. Mitsuki was wearing a strappy red dress and red high-heeled sandals. Her shoulder length hair was down. Though she had on a lot of eye liner and mascara, it was barely noticable because all of your attention immeadiately focused on her bright, red lips. She could so pull off the sexy-in-red look.   
  
"Coming!" they opened the door and stepped out. Keisuke took Mitsuki into a warm embrace and spun her around leaving his friend and Tohru to 'get acquainted.'   
  
"Tohru!?" Too bad they already were. 


	3. Three

"Tohru!?" It was strangely silent. Not that it wasn't before, but now there was a heavy air in the hall. Even the happy couple noticed.  
  
"Ehh? You guys know each other?" asked Keisuke, lightly elbowing his still shocked comrade.  
  
"Yea. We went to Junior high together."  
  
"Is this true Tohru??" asked Mitsuki.  
  
"H-hai. I went to school with him before I... before I came here."   
  
"Whaaat!? You knew such a cute guy and didn't introduce me? I'm hurt!" Her face was etched with mock-hurt.  
  
"Watch it sweetie, your current boyfriend's still standing right here." said Keisuke with a sheepish grin on his face. It wasn't that he was afraid of loosing her. Quite the contrary. They were at a point in their relationship where trust had been solidly formed. Their two friends oddly also had that trust, but in something different. A trust to keep their past THeir hidden secret. What were they exactly? What had been their relationship? What were they hiding? Keisuke could already see Mitsuki's mind calculating the possibilites. His poor friend was in for a long night. It wasn't just his girlfriend that was curious. "Arite. We won't bug you about it now... but we want details at dinner!"  
  
The quartet went to Luigano's, a cozy Italian restaurant downtown. The entrance was packed with to-be customers, waiting in line for a free table. Luckily, they had made reservations before hand. They settled down into a booth, the guys sitting at the ends, sandwiching the two girls in the middle (dont get any ideas!). Keisuke said it was their duty to, being men, to ward off any waiters trying to get 'fresh.'   
  
"Oh Keisuke! Stop it! You're making me blush!" said Mitsuki with a giggle. "Now if you could possibly let me out of your sight for just a minute, me and Tohru are going to go to the lady's room." With a quick peck, she shooed him up so she and Tohru could get out.   
  
"Let's go before these guys change their minds." Together, they skipped out of sight. The guys sat in silence, sipping their water and enjoying their break.   
  
"Your girlfriend, she's really somethin, isn't she?"   
  
"oh, she's something all right and I'm still trying to figure out what. When I think I finally got her all figured out... just like that (he snaps), I'm back to square one."  
  
"But that's what you like about her."   
  
Keisuke chuckled. "I guess you know me all too well." Taking another sip of his drink, he continued. "So talk to me."  
  
"What's there to talk about."  
  
"Don't be coy with me, Haru. I know you're too smart for that."  
  
Haru sighed and stared him straight at his friend. "Keisuke, she wasn't my girlfriend. She dated one of my cousins." It wasn't entiredly true, but it was a much better answer then explaining how she had lived with Shigure-Kyou-Yuki because she found out about the curse, then managed to befriend the whole Sohma clan to the point the clanhead ordered her to leave. She had denied the last part, but everyone knew it was true. They weren't sure how he had managed to convince her, or where he had hidden her, but they were all pretty sure of it and now the truth was within his grasp.   
  
"So you're telling me that you were never involved with her??"  
  
"Yes. And if you don't stop bugging me I'm--" Haru was about to go into his Black mode and his friend sensed it.  
  
"Don't worry, I won't say another word." Haru was quickly calm again. Keisuke found it unusual that such a small thing had ticked him off. But in Haru's mind, he could only see Yuki. His poor, sweet Yuki, abandoned and depressed. He knew it wasn't Tohru's fault but he could not repress the anger he had first felt when he saw Yuki. He was still the quiet boy he had always been but his eyes were dead. He drowned himself in his school activities and came home every day too tired to talk or eat.   
  
So silence ensued, one lost in deep thought while the other lingering on the after date prospects. When the waitress came, the girls were still not back. Luckily, they had left their orders with their dates. The girls returned shortly after, both of them smiling. Keisuke guessed her girlfriend hadn't approached Tohru on the subject of her past yet. Either that or she was happy to see Haru? No. Seeing the ex's relative after a possibly messy breakup wasn't the most thrilling thing. Especially if that ex's relative was your date.   
  
Dinner was nice though the couple found themselves doing most of the talking. It seemed that their two friends were determined to stay quiet with their little secret. There was an unmistakable tension in the air and while Tohru avoided everyone's eyes, Haru seemed quite at ease. With a mischevious glint in his eyes, Keisuke ordered several bottles of wine. Filling each of their glasses he said, "Now we play a game. Someone makes a statement starting out with 'I've never..' If you've done whatever it is, you empty your cup. And I mean you drink it. Last one left who can still walk a straight line wins."  
  
"Err.. I thought we were gonna hit the club..." said Tohru nervously, the only one in the bunch uncomfortable with drinking.   
  
"c'mon it'll be fun. You can even go first."  
  
"Oh no, I'm not even sure how to play. You go first Keisuke."  
  
"Okay. But only because you insist. I've never had a crush on a guy." Mitsuki glared daggers at him, drinking up nonetheless. Tohru and Haru followed suit, shocking everyone. Haru shocking everyone, not Tohru.   
  
Feeling their eyes he casually asked, "Oh, is it my turn?" Running his hands through his wavy black and white hair he said, "I've never dyed, color treated, or permed my hair."   
  
"No way!" snapped Mitsuki, taking yet another drink.  
  
"Yes... it's true." groaned Keisuke, doing the same. Only Tohru had been spared this time.  
  
"I've never been drunk," said Tohru, cleverly realizing this could be her only opportunity in her life to say that truthfully.  
  
"I've never smoked." Everyone stared at Mitsuki. "What?" she asked innocently. I haven't. Sighing, the two boys emptied their glasses.   
  
"I've never dated my ex's relative." To Keisuke's surprise, no one even touched their glass. He eyed Tohru suspiciously then turned to Haru who pretended not to notice a thing. So... his friend had been lying. Interesting. What was he hiding?   
  
The game went on like so, until everyone was hopelessly drunk. Haru had won. How he managed to do that, no one knew. The girls obviously much worse off then the boys, unused to drinking and unable to hold their liquor.   
  
"Shit." cursed Keisuke. "We can't send 'em back to their dorm lookin like this. They'd be in so much crap."   
  
Haru shrugged. "What then? Bring em to our hotel?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
"Omg! You're a genious!" he said winking. "Remember, it was your idea, not mine." hah. That little sneak. He was wanting Haru to suggest it first. How they were going to explain this to their dates when they woke up, he didn't know. At least they would all have one hell of a hangover. Maybe that would keep the girls from killing them on the spot when they woke up. Reluctantly, he picked up Tohru (very carefully) and followed his friend who had already paid and gone outside to hail a cab. 


End file.
